Death

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 8
Death always involves separation in some way or another. It is used in Scripture in at least seven different ways. The context dictates which aspect is in view. They are:
•  Physical death—to have the soul and spirit separated from the body (James 2:2626For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:26)). It does not refer to extinction (Matt. 10:2828And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28); Luke 20:3838For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. (Luke 20:38)). Physical death is a temporary condition for all who die—regardless whether a person is saved or lost (John 5:2929And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:29); Acts 24:1515And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. (Acts 24:15)).
•  Spiritual death—to be spiritually separated from God by not having a new life and nature (Eph. 2:11And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (Ephesians 2:1); Col. 2:1313And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; (Colossians 2:13)).
•  Second death—to be eternally separated from God in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:6, 146Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)
14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Revelation 20:14)).
•  Apostate death—to be separated from God by abandoning one’s profession of the faith (Jude 1212These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; (Jude 12); Rev. 8:99And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. (Revelation 8:9)).
•  National death—to no longer exist as a nation on earth (Isa. 26:1919Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. (Isaiah 26:19); Ezek. 37; Dan. 12:22And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2)).
•  Judicial death—to be positionally separated from the whole order of sin under the headship of Adam by the death of Christ (Rom. 6:2; 7:62God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:2)
6But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:6); Col. 2:20; 3:320Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Colossians 2:20)
3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)).
•  Moral death—to be separated from communion with God while living on earth (Rom. 8:1313For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13); 1 Tim. 5:66But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. (1 Timothy 5:6)).
The reader will note that each aspect of death involves separation of some kind. It is sobering to think that sin is the cause of every one of these aspects of death! Truly, “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)).
The Bible tells us that there are only two states in which a person can die (physically). It is either in “in the Lord” (Rev. 14:1313And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them. (Revelation 14:13)) or “in your sins” (John 8:2424I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. (John 8:24)). To die in one’s sins is to pass out of this world without having had our sins put away before God judicially by the work of Christ on the cross. The person who dies in that awful condition will be responsible to pay the price of his sins under the righteous judgment of God in a lost eternity. To die in the Lord is to die being safe and secure from all judgment under the shelter of the blood of Christ, God’s Son (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24); 1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). The death of a believer is “precious in the sight of the LORD” (Psa. 116:1515Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116:15)), whereas the death of an unbeliever is something that God has “no pleasure” in, because it means that that person will be eternally lost (Ezek. 33:1111Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33:11); 2 Peter 3:99The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)).